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Allison Oster
Public Relations Manager
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APU Alum Receives Prestigious Award to Study in Slovakia

May 6, 2008

AZUSA, Calif. –

Azusa Pacific University alumnus and Pomona, Calif. resident Jonathan Berk is one of three recent APU alumni to receive a 2008 Student Fulbright Scholarship. Berk, who graduated in May 2005 with a degree in philosophy, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Slovakia, where he will teach English as a foreign language and cultural studies at Comenius University in Bratislava. This marks the sixth consecutive year that an APU student has received this award.

As a student at APU, Berk spent a semester abroad in Oxford, England. He also participated in the High Sierra program during its inaugural year, studying humanities in a small community setting just outside Yosemite. Upon graduation from APU, Berk spent a year teaching English in Chengdu, China. Currently, he teaches English and geography at La Verne Lutheran High School in La Verne, Calif.

"I hope my experience mirror the aims of the Fulbright program, that I will come to know the Slovak culture, particularly its folk music, and that I will impart a greater understanding of the English language and American culture," said Berk.

"Thus far, three students have been awarded scholarships this year, bringing the total number of student Fulbright awards to 13 in the past 6 years," said Diane Guido, Ph.D., vice provost for undergraduate programs and Fulbright Program advisor. "This award underscores the remarkable achievements and significant potential that our students possess."

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and offers scholarship opportunities for recent graduates, postgraduate candidates, and developing professionals and artists to conduct career-launching study and research abroad. Each year, Fulbright offers more than 1,200 American grantees the ability to study abroad. Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills.

Featured in TIME magazine and ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, committed to God First and known for excellence in higher education. Azusa Pacific’s main campus lies just 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, while its seven Southern California regional centers bring convenience and extend quality programming. The university offers more than 50 areas of undergraduate study, 23 master's degrees, and 7 doctorates to a total student population of more than 8,100.

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